i will rearrange the stars, pull them down to where you are
by ShakyHades Phantomhive
Summary: Sometimes, all that's needed to change the future from an horrendous fate to a marvelous one instead is a simple change in timing - and Anakin Skywalker learns that in the best way possible.


Title and inspiration from _Light_, by Sleeping at Last.

* * *

The future is irrevocably changed when Padmé Amidala's water breaks unexpectedly, in the middle of an emotional - and decisive - argument with her husband, on the lava-covered planet of Mustafar. She pauses mid-sentence, and her heartbroken expression turns into one of shock.

Anakin is quick to notice that something has changed, and his expression promptly goes from irritation to concern when Padmé lays a protective hand on her round belly, face turning into a grimace.

"What's wrong?" he asks, mind swiftly bringing his nightmare back to the forefront, making his worry escalate considerably. Anakin steps closer, uncertain of where they stand, but knowing he must protect her and prevent his vision from becoming reality.

Padmé opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out for a few seconds. She looks at him in the eye then, shaken but still determined, and Anakin can't help but admire her spirit; her beauty.

"I think… my water just broke."

Those simple, seemingly harmless words throw Anakin into a frenzy as soon as he processes them. Everything he read about pregnancy comes back to him in a flash, but that leaves him no less anxious, no less worried.

It's happening, then. The time window of his vision is near, and he must do everything in his power to stop it.

Padmé cries out in pained surprise, and then whispers a quick and breathless '_contractions' _just as Anakin reaches that same conclusion.

She looks torn, still holding her belly protectively, face contorted into an expression Anakin can't decipher - regret, maybe? Fear? - but such considerations are thrown to the side when she looks at him, resolute, and says: "We need to get away from here," in a tone that leaves no room for rebuttals.

So Anakin guides her back to her ship, calling Artoo behind him, all his duties to Palpatine forgotten for the time being. He is so distracted by her that he only notices Obi-Wan when stepping inside the spacecraft. They stare at each other for a long minute, and Anakin distantly notices that his former Master looks as unsure as Anakin feels.

The air between them crackles with too many unspoken words, and Anakin _knows _why Obi-Wan is there without having to think about it. Padmé is surprised, still at Anakin's side, and quietly asks Obi-Wan what is he doing there.

Obi-Wan's expression goes from sheepish to regretful, and it's all the answer she needs.

The atmosphere is heavy as Anakin leads her to the bedroom area, so that she can rest properly in the cot there. He comforts her, makes sure she has anything she could need, and then goes to the cockpit. He finds Artoo, Threepio and Obi-Wan already there, and glares at his former Master some more.

"Artoo, plot a course back to Coruscant, we-"

"You can't go to Coruscant, Anakin," Obi-Wan interrupts, and Anakin turns to him, irritated.

"Why not? Padmé will be well-cared for in any of the medcenters there."

Obi-Wan snorts, defiant. "That's not the point, Anakin, and you know it. Don't play dumb."

Anakin feels anger he does not have the time for build up on his chest. "Palpatine has never dismissed any of my visions and feelings. He has supported me for years now, been a friend when no one else would be. I trust him."

"But should you? Should you trust a man that has commanded single-handedly a galaxy-wide war that killed countless people, soldiers and innocents alike? I never thought you would stoop so low, Anakin," Obi-Wan says with a scoff, eyes hard and posture defensive. Anakin feels the Force gather around himself, around his hands, ready to be used.

"And why should I listen to you? The Jedi are traitors."

"If we are indeed traitors, then you are the biggest of us all."

They glare at each other for a long moment, both refusing to back down. Anakin, however, has to concede a silent defeat once he remembers the urgency of the situation, no matter how bad a taste his next words leave in his throat.

"Where to, then?" Anakin asks, somewhat petulant, and Obi-Wan sighs in relief.

"To the encounter of Bail Organa. I'm sure he will be glad to know Padmé is alive and well - I will contact him to ask for coordinates," Obi-Wan explains, and promptly leaves the cockpit to do just that.

Anakin initiates the take-off sequence as he waits, and puts in their destination as soon as he gets it, choosing the fastest route to the asteroid colony named Polis Massa. After the ship enters hyperspace, Anakin leaves the control of it to Artoo and Threepio, speed walking back to Padmé.

He enters the cramped bedroom just as she has a contraction, and he rushes to her side. She clutches his hand, a faint sheen of sweat starting to cling to her skin, and he can't do much more other than offer words of comfort and his presence as she grimaces and cries out.

x

When they're nearly halfway to their destination, Anakin leaves the room to fetch her more water, and finds Obi-Wan staring out of a window, into the streaks of blue that form hyperspace around them. Anakin wants to say something- _anything,_ for even after all their misunderstandings, Anakin still lo- cares for him, and seeing Obi-Wan so shaken hurts a part of Anakin that he almost wishes to forget.

The gap between them has become too great for such things as comfort, however, so Anakin clamps it down and steels himself, drawing himself to full height and squaring his shoulders.

"I won't hesitate to kill you if you do anything to harm me, Padmé, or our child. Just thought I'd warn you," he says, loud in Padmé's ship, with more bravado than he actually feels.

Maybe any other person - any normal individual, without the Force at their side - would have startled in this situation, but Obi-Wan only laughs without any mirth to it, back still turned to Anakin. "I didn't even wish to go to Mustafar," he says with a sigh, voice distant and mind wandering. "Do not worry, I will do nothing to harm any of you."

Anakin frowns, puzzled; confused. "Why did you, then?" he asks. Obi-Wan only hunches himself further, burrowing into his cloak, and says nothing. Anakin swallows down his frustration and turns, walking back to Padmé.

x

There is a hoverchair waiting for them when they touch down on Polis Massa, and Anakin is immensely grateful for it. Padmé's contractions have become considerably more frequent during their travel; she has dissolved into yells of pain and fervent affirmations that she hates him for making her go through this whole ordeal. Anakin hides his laugh every time she says that, for fear of truly becoming the target of her pain-induced rage.

He is also quite sure that his hand would be sore by now had he not given Padmé his mechanical hand to hold, and somewhere deep inside his mind, he finds the lightheartedness to see mirth in that thought; had it not been for Dooku and all the mess in Geonosis, he would be in much more pain than he actually is.

"Bail!" Padmé exclaims in relief, giving a - much gentler than Anakin has endured until now - squeeze to her friend's arm. "Thank the heavens you are still safe," she continues, and then grinds her teeth as another contraction hits.

Bail Organa smiles fondly, and returns the gesture. "I am very glad to see you, as well," he says, then straightens. "But pleasantries can be left for later. We should hurry to the medbay - follow me."

Anakin guides the hoverchair through the maze-like, pristine corridors of the little asteroid colony,pretending not to notice Organa glancing at him every few minutes. Obi-Wan is a familiar presence at his side, even as subdued as the man currently is.

_Something _nags at him, at the back of his mind, and he looks around suspiciously, trying to find the source. No details jump at him immediately, so he goes back to staring forward, while also trying to shrug off the sense of _wrongness_, to no avail. Out of the corner of his eye, Anakin sees Obi-Wan give him a slightly questioning look, knowing Anakin well enough to be able to read his mannerisms. Anakin chooses to ignore it.

His unease only grows the deeper they go into the base. Anakin frowns, still trying to pinpoint the motive for it, feeling it escape his grasp by mere inches.

When they finally come to a stop, Anakin looks beyond the transparisteel wall and into the operation room, it dawns on him, the reason. Panic is swift to rise, coating the entirety of his mind. He freezes in place, looking at the unassuming medbed and seeing Padmé scream and die in front of him, just as his vision showed him.

Anakin whirls on Obi-Wan, panic turning into betrayal and rage. His former Master had said he meant them no harm, but then he brought them to this cursed place, where Anakin had seen his angel die more times than he ever, _ever _wished to.

Hurtful, accusing words gather at the tip of his tongue, and he barely registers the confusion on Obi-Wan's face at the sudden change on his behavior. Just as he opens his mouth to let it all out, and most likely start a very ill timed fight, Padmé's hand snakes behind her to grab at Anakin's left wrist, clamping down on it _hard_ as she yells. The pain serves to momentarily clear his head, and he focuses back on his angel, trying to soothe her while hiding his fear.

The medbot ushers her in the room, and the transparisteel turns opaque to preserve her privacy while the medics change her clothes and prepare her for the actual birth. Anakin blinks in the aftermath, having tried to follow her but denied entry. _I'm her husband, how do they think she got pregnant?_

He ignores Obi-Wan while he waits, rage still too close to the surface - it would be _far _too easy to surrender himself to it, but Padmé wouldn't want that. _Padmé wouldn't want that._

It's the only way Anakin can function at the moment, really; making his decisions by whether Padmé would approve of them or not. To do otherwise would be too overwhelming, at the state he's in.

Anakin nearly phases into the room as soon as the walls become see-through again and he is given the go-ahead, barely noticing that the others stay behind. He holds Padmé's hand and smiles down at her, caressing her hair and trying - _failing_ \- to project comfort.

Padmé narrows her eyes at him and then looks at the door. Anakin's expression becomes confused when she levels him with a determined glare.

"Get Obi-Wan," she says, leaving no room for argument.

Anakin tries anyway. "But Padmé-"

"Anakin Skywalker, if you don't get your former Master in this room in the next ten seconds I will strangle you with my bare hands, labor be damned," she says firmly, and this time, Anakin is helpless to refuse.

He's also a little scared, if he's honest, so he does as she says and goes to the door. Anakin scowls at Obi-Wan, but the man does nothing aside from giving him a perplexed look, so Anakin takes matters in his own hands and drags him inside by the wrist until they both stand next to the medbed.

Padmé smiles in relief up at Obi-Wan, taking his hand in one of hers, and Obi-Wan returns the smile tentatively, looking at Anakin from the corner of his eye.

Anakin feels something dark rise inside him, but he pushes it down forcefully, only belatedly recognizing it as - irrational - jealousy. He refuses to even consider the idea of Padmé betraying him in any manner; it would lead him somewhere he doesn't know if he could return from.

So he endures it, going to her other side and ignoring as Obi-Wan projects comfort far better than Anakin ever could, even as grief still clings to his shoulders - a burden Anakin helped put there.

Anakin doesn't know how long they stand there, with the medbot telling Padmé to push as Padmé screamed in response, clutching his right hand mercilessly.

Then, a new voice joins the cacophony of the room, and Anakin stares in wonder as the bot lifts a baby - his child, _their child._ As cliche as it sounds, Anakin can almost physically feel the darkness receding, loosening its grasp on him, all thanks to this little bundle of uncorrupted _light _that screams and squirms as it leaves its home of nine months.

He takes the baby in his arms, a little boy, and only belatedly he lowers him so that Padmé can greet him and name him - _Luke._

Time passes as a blur, and Anakin only resurfaces from his love-induced trance when another crying voice joins the fray. It's a girl, and as he watches Obi-Wan take her and bring her to Padmé, he can no longer feel animosity towards his former Master.

His mental state is such that he nearly laughs at that realization. It hasn't been even a day since his children were born - not even _minutes _\- and already, they're having so big an effect on him. Oh, Anakin isn't a fool despite the persistent evidence, he knows that most of it is a happiness-induced numbness, but it's still significant. It's still progress.

Luke and Leia inherently urge him to _want _to make up with Obi-Wan. Anakin fears what they'll be capable of, a few years down the line.

He watches as Obi-Wan grins at Leia, already smitten, and something long-repressed tries to come back to the surface of his mind; of his heart. Anakin's expression softens even further, if that's even possible, and he glances at Padmé to find her smiling knowingly at him.

His angel glows, even as exhausted as she clearly is, and his heart tries valiantly to burst from all the affection it's holding. Anakin bends down to press a kiss to her forehead, mindful of the newborn resting on his arms.

"Go to sleep, love. You've earned it, and much more," he says, still smiling.

Padmé laughs tiredly. "And leave you two alone with newborns? Not a chance," she teases, and Anakin rolls his eyes.

We are literally in a medbay, Padmé," Obi-Wan cuts in, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Stop worrying and rest. You'll need it."

Padmé nods with a sigh, and the medics arrange the bed so that it's more comfortable for her, draping a thin blanket over her, and then she's out like a light. Obi-Wan chuckles, gently rocking Leia, the grief around his shoulders a little lighter, a little more bearable.

This time, the twins' light doesn't stop his guilt from reaching the surface. Anakin _knows _he has a lot to repay this man, and that some things cannot ever be forgiven - but somehow, he is willing to try. To listen, at least.

One of the native medics approach him, hands outstretched, and Anakin reluctantly deposits Luke in their arms, to be examined and given whatever he needs. He notices another medic do the same with Obi-Wan.

The natives leave, and then it's only them, Padmé and the medbot in the room. Anakin is unwilling to leave, knowing he'll have to face Yoda and Bail if he does, so he procures a chair and sits heavily on it. Obi-Wan does the same, sitting at his side, and Anakin looks to the floor as regret laps at the edge of his mind.

"I'm sorry," Anakin starts, even though he knows it won't be enough. "I'm sorry for letting myself be influenced by Sidious. I should have known better. I should have been stronger," he continues, trying hard not to make excuses for his actions. "I shouldn't have let myself be- _manipulated _so easily."

Obi-Wan sighs and tips his head back to stare at the ceiling, but keeps silent. Anakin knows it's not enough, it's not nearly enough for the countless Jedi dead, for the mess the galaxy finds itself in.

"I should have killed Sidious when I had the chance," Anakin says in an afterthought. Obi-Wan slumps forward, tired far beyond his years.

"There are many things we should have done, Anakin. Countless; infinite things. Wallowing in them won't help us any."

Anakin's mouth curls despite himself, despite the situation and seriousness of it all. That attitude is so _Obi-Wan_ that affection curls on his gut and he is helpless to stop it. So he lets it run its course, and then straightens a little. "Yeah. But there are also many things we can _still _do. We have always been better together, haven't we?"

Obi-Wan looks at him, _really _looks at the broken, barely-together pieces that make up Anakin Skywalker, and through all the pain and sorrow, his mouth curls up as well, a sad but fond little smile. "Yes, we have," he replies, and they lapse into silence again.

x

Some time later, one of the medics comes to lead them to where the twins are resting. It's just the next room, really, and Anakin is grateful for the proximity - this way, he can still go to Padmé should anything happen. Obi-Wan nearly escapes from having to accompany him, but Anakin is faster. He also knows Obi-Wan well enough to know that he _does, _actually, want to come with, and is only trying to retreat based on the idea that he _shouldn't be there; _which is frankly stupid.

After all that's happened - given that Padmé is still alive and well and so are their children - and the fact that Anakin's dream _did not become reality_, it's only fair that Obi-Wan gets to bask on the twins' light, as well.

They are so tiny; so pure and so _full _of love that Anakin wishes to purge all darkness from the universe, just to see them safe and sound. Force, he'd fight himself if he had to, for them; because they deserve that and so much more. They deserve unconditional love, a family to guide them, and a father that hadn't fucked up as enormously as he had.

But Anakin Skywalker is what they have instead, so Anakin has to work with what he can. Force, he already knows that he'd do anything for them if they so much as bat their lashes at him - he is going to be _so _screwed once they grow up and realize the power they have over him.

His heart is mush somewhere inside his ribcage.

He caresses their little, fuzzy heads, ignoring the urge to take Obi-Wan's hand in his and hold tight. Those feelings could be dealt with some later time. Now, he is going to enjoy whatever time he has with his children.

They still have a long path ahead of them, after all - a Sith Lord to defeat and a galaxy to save - but that can wait a little, Anakin thinks, watching over the sleeping, and finally peaceful, twins.


End file.
